The Most Dramatic Queenstown Elopement

Meet Aki and Andrew, the fashionable couple who marches to the beat of their own drum. Their unconventional Queenstown elopement started at QT Queenstown and ended on a mountain top accessible only by helicopter. This incredible day not only resulted in their marriage, but the most dramatic surprise wedding announcement. We were lucky enough to get the inside scoop from Aki who you know as @thesleekavenue.

Can we just say, wow. What inspired you to elope in Queenstown?

Have you seen Queenstown?! It’s hard not to be inspired! Having a memorable location was a must for us, and when we realised overseas travel was impossible, Queenstown was the obvious choice within New Zealand. The breathtaking backdrop that sets Hollywood blockbuster ‘Mission Impossible: Fall Out’ was perfectly aligned with our Tarantino-style surprise wedding announcement video.

Tell us a bit about your wedding day! From waking up at QT Queenstown to finding yourself on a mountain top…

It was everything we wanted and nothing that we didn’t. We can’t tell you how great it feels to be able to say that about the whole day! We wanted luxury, drama, class and a touch of bad-assery – QT Queenstown gave us the ideal launch pad.

We originally wanted a simple registry office wedding but Aki found a helicopter deal (if you know her, you know). We woke up with the best view from QT Queenstown and took our sweet time enjoying breakfast in the hotel – the perfect way to start a wedding day! We jumped in the helicopter just in time for sunset at the mountain top and spent an hour for the ceremony. Well, 55 minutes making the announcement film, then 5 minutes for the ceremony. Then we went back to the hotel, got changed and went out for a date night as Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, starting at Reds. It was unconventional but oh so perfect!

We absolutely loved celebrating with you at QT Queenstown. What did you do to make your Queenstown wedding feel even more special?

I mean, getting married was pretty special to begin with, and we loved sharing our excitement for the day with QT Queenstown. There were a lot of lovely treats from the QT team that made us feel extra special, from the flowers to the little chocolate surprises. Even hydrating facial masks, so we were looking flawless on our wedding day thanks to you guys.

The funny thing is that I didn’t even know how to iron her clothes so Andrew had to do the honours. We had a great time helping each other get ready, choosing accessories for our outfits while enjoying the QT room service.

People say wedding planning is stressful but for us, it was filled with laughter and excitement.